Reimagine A Playground, Community Center, Park, and Heart of the Neighborhood

Lincoln Playground has had a rich and vibrant history since it was built in 1927.

About the project

art play water safety history beauty greening education innovation connection

The Community surrounding the Lincoln Elementary School site intends to redesign and rebuild the playground area into a state of the art public park.

Working with residents, neighborhood organizations and local businesses, we envision a completely redesigned space, no longer simply a playground, but an important space for everyone in the community – school children, neighborhood children looking for a safe and inviting place to spend their out of school time, families, older adults…in short, everyone.

The project is a three-tiered exercise:

1) Planning and design of the park
2) Fundraising with partners
3) Collaborating with the community by inviting a broad range of community members into the process.

The goal is to create a space that is a playground, a community center, a park and a heart of the neighborhood.

Nicole Knuckles

Other Team Members

News & Events

Congratulations to Marcus Owens, Lincoln Playground Reimagining Co-Chair and President of the Northside Economic Opportunity Network (NEON) for his 2017 Bush Fellowship! Marcus Owens is a fourth-generation North Minneapolis resident who is deeply invested in the health of his community. A corporate-turned-nonprofit leader, he employs research, data and anecdotal information to understand the root causes of problems. He[…]

Check out this site analysis of Lincoln Playground by TEN x TEN. A big thank you to Satoko Muratake and team for all the good work! Stay tuned for a workshop with TEN x TEN in the neighborhood. 2017 0224_LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP_ FINAL BOARDS

Supported by The Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross), we began an outreach initiative by creating a series of “pop-up” events to bring energy back to Lincoln Playground, where residents can interact with and begin envisioning a place of new investment and community improvement. Because of shifting school[…]

Thank you Rebuilding Together Twin Cities and Well Fargo! On October 10, a volunteer crew from Wells Fargo joined residents and Rebuilding Together Twin Cities to spruce up Lincoln Playground. Just one more step toward a bigger project we are all working toward! Thank you to all of the volunteers!!

Thursday, September 8, 5:30-7:30pm We are excited! Sumner Library has been working with community members all summer long to set up an Outdoor Reading Room at Lincoln School Playground. We have partnered with a Northside carpenter, a Northside artist, Summit Academy carpentry students, Little Free Libraries and the 4th Precinct Police, students at Best Academy, and many,[…]

3-8pm Can we reimagine Lincoln Playground into a beautiful, vibrant gathering space for our kids and community? Join the Lincoln Playground Reimagining team to dream big and share your input for the playground’s future. Activities: Paint a mural on the pavement with Melodee Strong, draw with The Drawing Project, drum and dance with Voice of Culture,[…]

The University of Minnesota: Urban Research and Outreach-Engegament Center (UROC) has an article about the Lincoln Playground and our goal to create a neighborhood gateway and oasis with the help from community partners and residents. About UROC: Through UROC, the University of Minnesota is continuing to promote ongoing engagement with the people, organizations, and communities of[…]